You’ll Never Walk Alone – The Effects of Walkability on Pregnancy Behaviors and Outcomes

This study investigates the relationship between local walkability and physical activity and subsequent health outcomes among pregnant women – for whom walking is the recommended, and by far most common, form of exercise. Using an EPA measure of walkability at the county level and rich individual-level data on women from the 2011 BRFSS, we find that higher walkability translates into more physical activity among pregnant women (but not their non-pregnant counterparts). Furthermore, we also demonstrate that higher walkability leads to better pregnancy outcomes for both mothers and their babies. Using 2011 Natality Detail Files with geographic identifiers, we show that women residing in more walkable counties are less likely to experience gestational diabetes, hypertension, and excessive weight gain. They are also less likely to deliver macrosomic babies. Our study suggests more broadly that pregnant women’s physical activity responds to factors that facilitate it and makes a difference.